An American in Europe

02 October

Today was splendid!

Click “read more” to hear about my Saturday and see pictures of the English countryside.

Nancy and her boyfriend, Alasdair, took me out to the English countryside today. Nancy planned the day, and it was the perfect end to my first week in the United Kingdom!

I love experiencing another country – everything is different, and thus fascinating. Even a simple drive is exciting because of being on the wrong, ahem, left, side of the road. And the signs say “give way” instead of yield.

Photo: Give way

London is surrounded by a green belt, so you know it when you’ve left the city.
All the while in the car we talked about England’s history – kings and queens and wars, scandal and drama and whores. You just don’t get this kind of flavor in the U.S!

Of course, the weather came up again and again. (That’s typical ‘round these parts.)

The rain and sun danced around each other all day, so the sky never looked the same. One minute it would be gray, damp and chilly and then the sun would shine brightly and we’d have to take off our jackets!

Apparently, “It’s brightening up ahead,” is a common British phrase when driving. Haha

First we drove out to Cliveden, an old estate built by a Duke in 1668. Now it serves as gardens for people to walk around in.

Autumn is arriving
Photo: Foliage

This is called the Fountain of Love – looks like naked women and winged boys on a big seashell to me.
Photo: Love Fountain

Imagine this is your backyard!
Photo: Hedges garden

“Hen-er-y the eighth I am, I am.”
Photo: Alasdair, Nancy Garden

“This is great!”
Photo: AJ Garden

That Duke thought big for himself, eh?
Photo: House Garden

Where to next?
Photo: Nancy Map

Brits and Americans get along so well
Photo: Exchange Nancy Alasdair

Nancy: “How raining is it?”
Alasdair: “It’s not terribly raining.”
Photo: Keeping up

We walked around the gardens and then climbed down to the Thames!
Photo: Careful there

Check out that imitation Tudor home
Photo: Tudor Home Thames

Yes, we climbed all those stairs! But the view was worth it.
Photo: Stairs, Thames

Check out this view! So close to London, yet so different.
Photo: English countryside

He managed to smile!
Photo: Alasdair, AJ Cliveden

Proof that I’m not making all this up. Haha.
Photo: AJ, Stairs Cliveden

We passed a wedding party!
“Jolly good day old chum.” – Actually, he was talking about his problems with the “water works,” meaning something with his bowels. I don’t want to know.
Photo: Old Chum, Cliveden

Then we headed over to a water garden.
Photo: Water garden

In the water garden, we saw a heron!! I’ve never seen a real one in the wild!
Photo: Heron, Cliveden

It took off in flight, but I didn’t get a picture of it, so Alasdair scared him to make him fly again. Haha. This time I got a picture.
Photo: Heron in flight

After Cliveden, we stopped at a pub called The Feathers to eat lunch. Great atmosphere -- the air smelled like fireplaces and food.

This dog was certainly enjoying himself!
Photo: Doggie in the sun

Once we were happily settled in the sun with our food it started raining, so we had to run inside to finish.

Alasdair grew up around here so we saw his home town, and a cemetery tossed in. I also learned how to tell the difference between Elizabethan and Victorian homes.
Photo: Cemetery, old

Next, we drove to Hurley for some English afternoon tea. But “tea” doesn’t mean tea like it does in the United States. In England, “tea” means tea with food. The tradition started in 1788 when “the seventh Duchess of Bedford found the period between luncheon and dinner was too long,” according to the menu at “Ye Olde Bell.” This inn was formerly known as “The Bell.” I guess even the British want to make things sound authentic! The inn claims that it is “reputed to be the oldest inn in England,” dating back to 1135.

Then we walked off our tea, scones and cream by walking along the river path. Apparently, people in this country go for walks all over the place. The farmers have to set aside paths through their fields so that people can publicly walk through them!

“It’s a public path and I’m going to walk through it! It’s my right!”
Photo: Nancy & Alasdair, Thames near Hurley

Rich people in Britain live in places like this.
Photo: Rich people live here

Flowers along the water lock
Photo: Flowers, lock

Alasdair tries to befriend a fellow native
Photo: Alasdair duck 1

“Hey wait! I didn’t mean to insult your mum!”
Photo: Alasdair duck 2

Nancy is left to soothe the duck’s feelings
Photo: Nancy duck

After they got the duck all taken care of, we headed home.

Tonight we watched a film on Henry VIII, which gave life to the story of Henry and Queen Anne, his second wife, who was beheaded.

This Queen and her King were responsible for the end of Catholicism, and surge in Protestantism, in England -- because Henry had to separate from the Pope in order to divorce his first wife! Anne's first daughter was Queen Elizabeth I.

You can see the spot where Anne was beheaded by the Tower of London. I'll have to head over there the next time the sun shines.

This is all very cool…off to bed I go.
posted at 09:35:00 on 10/02/04 by ajluvsu - Category: General

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